Art of chasing game



(No Model.)

A L LEONARD ART OF CHASING GAME.

Patented Jan. 9,

STATES ATENT IFFICEQ ART OF CHASING GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,654, dated January 9, 1894- Application filed July 3, 1893- Serial No. 479,384. (No specimens.)

and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Chasing Game; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an appliance for facilitating the chasing of game; and it has for its object to provide a device whereby the game and hounds maybe confined in an endless course and the chase conducted therein.

To this end the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will now be fully described and finallyembodied in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying, drawings: Figure 1 represents a plan view of my complete arrangement; Fig. 2 an enlarged plan view of a detail part.

The reference letter 0 indicates an oval shaped track or course formed on level ground, and having the netting fences or walls 5 and 0 arranged on each side, whereby the animals on the course are confined therein. A gate 61 may be arranged in the outer fence b to facilitate the admissionof the animals.

Arranged along the length of the course at desired intervals, are the hurdles or retarding devices d which, consist of wicket barriers or fences having at their bottoms openings large enough to allow the game to pass, but too small for the passage of the hounds thus compelling them to jump the barrier which will delay and baffle them.

Located on one of the long sides of the oval described by the course and alongside the fence 0, is a blind or screen 6 which is high enough to reach above the heads of the hounds and thereby prevent them from seeing the game that may be on the other side of the oval. By this means the hounds are kept moving continually in one direction and prevented from turning back to head off the game, as they would otherwise do.

The arrangement shown in detail by Fig. 2 is designed to take the game off the track when it is desired to end the chase or to hide the game fromthe hounds. This consists of a swinging gate or partitionf hinged to the post 9 of the fence 0, and arranged to swing out across the course a; and the gate is longer than the course a, so that when it swings out its free end will bind against the fence b before the gate attains a position at right angles to the fences. This forms an inclined guide-way by which the game moving along the course in the proper direction, will be shifted through the passage h and into the pen z. Secured to the bottom of the gate, is a piece of strong cloth m, preferably canvas which is secured at the side opposite the gate,

to an automatically operating spring roller journaled in bearings in the posts Z, and tending by reason of its spring properties, to keep the canvas rolled thereon. This of course, will be followed by a normal tendency of the gate f to. shut, which is provided for by socuring it open with any suitable fastening device. The function of the cloth is to provide means for destroying the scent dropped when it is desired to-take the game or hounds off the course, the gate f is opened and fastened at its free end to the fence b. This will form the guideway for the passage of such of the animals as may be desired, into the pen 11. 1

In using this invention, the course will be inclosed in a high fence n and a grand stand may be raised for the accommodation of the spectators. This of course, does not enter into my invention.

I-Iaving'thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. 'An appliance for facilitating the chasing of game by hounds, comprising a course having a fence or wall on either side, whereby the animals are confined on the course, and a hurdle arranged across the course, said hurdle having openings therein whereby the game may pass through, the openings being constructed so as to compel the hounds to pass over the hurdle, substantially as described.

2. An appliance for facilitating the chasing of game by hounds, comprising an endless course, a fence or wall on either side of the course whereby the animals are confined on the course, and a blind on one side of the course for preventing the animals on one side from seeing those on the other side, substan- 15 tially as described.

tion hinged adjacent to the mouth of the pen and adapted to swing across the course whereby the animals thereon are turned into the pen, a sheet of cloth connected to the gate, and a spring-roller over which the cloth 1s wound, and whereby the gate is lcept normally closed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER LEWIS LEONARD.

WVitnesses R. A. BROWN, LUNER 111cm. 

